Top Rated 10 Power (10x) Binoculars: This page contains a roundup and comparison of all of the best rated binoculars currently available with 8 Power (8x). This power of binoculars is among the most popular, especially the 10×30 and 10×42 sizes. These are ideal for birding & birdwatching, and general purpose. As you increase the power of binoculars (say from 8x to 12x), you decrease light, narrow the field of view, and make if harder to hold without having a blurry image. 8x and 10x are the most popular power sizes for binoculars. Below are the top rated 10 power binoculars to compare by features, price and reviews.

For 2017 Nikon announced at CES 2017 a new line of Monarch HG Binoculars. These new binoculars have a very wide field of view with the addition of Nikon’s Field Flattener Lens System which provides sharp images from edge to edge.

The Nikon HG Series wins Smart-Review’s Best of 2017 award for binoculars in the 8×42 and 10×42 sizes. The new models have a lightweight magnesium frame, and are made in Japan. The HG series is nitrogen purged, is waterproof, and fog proof. The lenses have scratch resistant coatings and have a phase-correction prism coating to enhance resolution and contrast.

The HG Series is backed by Nikon’s No-Fault Repair/Replacement Policy.

Closest Focus Distance = This is the nearest object that you can focus on. Lower power binoculars can focus on closer objects than high power binoculars.Apparent field of view = Apparent field of view is the angular diameter, expressed in degrees (°), of the circle of light that the eye sees through your binoculars. A large field of view is good for a seeing a large amount of area (usually with lower power binoculars). Higher power binoculars zoom in on a smaller area.Eye Relief = Eye relief is the distance (in millimeters) that a binocular can be held from your eye and the full field of view can still be observed. More Eye relief distance is important for those that wear eyeglasses.Apparent Field of View = This refers to how much of the overall scene you can view. The higher the magnification, the smaller field of view. Just like a wide angle lens will show more of the view, a lower magnification binoculars will show more of the overall scene. A higher magnification will show a closeup view, but with a much narrower field of view. The field of view is measured in degrees. A 180 degree field of view is being able to view everything in front of you.Ultra Low Dispersion (UD) Lens = Some of Canon’s high end Waterproof Binoculars have a superior UD Lens. These type of lenses will reduce chromatic aberration, or color fringing, which can affect the image by reducing contrast, and image sharpness.Nitrogen or Argon Filled = Filling binoculars with Nitrogen or Argon helps to prevent fogging.ED Glass Elements = Nikon’s Monarch Series binoculars have ED Glass (Extra-low Dispersion) glass lenses, which correct chromatic aberrations across the furthest limits of the visible light range and effectively compensate for color fringing. The improved resolution also provides brighter, more natural looking images.Roof Prism System = Roof prism binoculars have a straight profile, with the eyepiece situated directly behind the front lens. This allows for a more compact design.Porro Prism System = Nikon’s Porro prisms binoculars are made from a high density glass, BAK-4. They are cheaper than Roof Prisms, and are more angular than straight.Phase-corrected Prisms = These type of prisms enhance the contrast and improve color fidelity.Relative Brightness = This will show how bright the image will appear in the binoculars. Higher is better. Binoculars with a higher magnification will appear dimmer. So a 12×35 pair of binoculars will have lower relative brightness than an 8×35 pair of binoculars.